NHRC lacks capacity to perform – Fapohunda

Immediate past Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Mr Olawale
Fapohunda, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

He made the call at the end of a public hearing by the
Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed
Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement in
Abuja on Wednesday.

Fapohunda, who is a member of the panel and former two-term
National Commissioner of the NHRC, said the commission currently
lacked the capacity to discharge its mandate.

“Through our sittings, one issue that has struck me, and I think
is important to stress, is the challenge of the capacity of
Nigeria’s human rights institutions.

“The National Human Rights Commission and local human rights
NGOs are struggling to achieve their mandates. This must
necessarily be of concern to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“In the case of the NHRC, it is simply unacceptable that an
institution set up to protect the rights of Nigerians is itself
struggling to achieve its mandate.

“The nature of this struggle was obvious during all of our
sittings. No international human right institution can protect and
promote the human right concerns of Nigerians than the
commission.

“This issue must be addressed urgently. The Federal Government
of Nigeria should urgently consider whether its endowments of the
commission and in support of local human rights groups are adequate
to enable them meet their obligations to Nigerians.’’

He said the call became necessary because the commission and
local human rights groups would advance key human rights concerns
after the panel concludes its assignment.

The Director of Monitoring in the commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu,
thanked Fapohunda for raising this issue.

“I want to thank the member of the panel who has urged the
Federal Government to look at the capacity of civil society
organisations and the National Human Rights Commission to protect
and promote the rights of Nigerians.

“In this regard, I would want to say that one of the key issues
highlighted in the NHRC Act is the establishment of a human rights
fund that will help to galvanise human rights activities in the
country.

“That fund is supposed to be accessed by civil society
organisations as well as the commission to make sure that human
rights complaints and activities in the country are well pursued
and maintained.’’

The commission’s lack of a Governing Council has limited its
powers to determine cases and complaints before it.

According to Rule 81 of the Standing Orders and Rules of
Procedure of the NHRC, only the Governing Council can decide on all
cases and complaints brought to the commission.

Immediate past Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Mr Olawale
Fapohunda, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

He made the call at the end of a public hearing by the
Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed
Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement in
Abuja on Wednesday.

Fapohunda, who is a member of the panel and former two-term
National Commissioner of the NHRC, said the commission currently
lacked the capacity to discharge its mandate.

“Through our sittings, one issue that has struck me, and I think
is important to stress, is the challenge of the capacity of
Nigeria’s human rights institutions.

“The National Human Rights Commission and local human rights
NGOs are struggling to achieve their mandates. This must
necessarily be of concern to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“In the case of the NHRC, it is simply unacceptable that an
institution set up to protect the rights of Nigerians is itself
struggling to achieve its mandate.

“The nature of this struggle was obvious during all of our
sittings. No international human right institution can protect and
promote the human right concerns of Nigerians than the
commission.

“This issue must be addressed urgently. The Federal Government
of Nigeria should urgently consider whether its endowments of the
commission and in support of local human rights groups are adequate
to enable them meet their obligations to Nigerians.’’

He said the call became necessary because the commission and
local human rights groups would advance key human rights concerns
after the panel concludes its assignment.

The Director of Monitoring in the commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu,
thanked Fapohunda for raising this issue.

“I want to thank the member of the panel who has urged the
Federal Government to look at the capacity of civil society
organisations and the National Human Rights Commission to protect
and promote the rights of Nigerians.

“In this regard, I would want to say that one of the key issues
highlighted in the NHRC Act is the establishment of a human rights
fund that will help to galvanise human rights activities in the
country.

“That fund is supposed to be accessed by civil society
organisations as well as the commission to make sure that human
rights complaints and activities in the country are well pursued
and maintained.’’

The commission’s lack of a Governing Council has limited its
powers to determine cases and complaints before it.

According to Rule 81 of the Standing Orders and Rules of
Procedure of the NHRC, only the Governing Council can decide on all
cases and complaints brought to the commission.